The Promise

Chapter Twenty-Six

By the time the clock showed it was nearing 8 p.m., I was a nervous wreck. I had finished the dinner preparations and iced the cupcakes, so nothing was left to focus my attention on. I removed the apron that protected my clothes from the food preparation and smoothed the front of my shirt.

As the clock struck eight, Max showed up promptly on time. Sam attempted to open the door, but I gave him a look. My little brother slunk into the kitchen as I opened the door. Max was dressed in a suit and tie. He looked like an intelligent man with kind eyes. Max was the type of man who looked gentle, but I could tell he wasn't a pushover.

"You must be Aria," Max gave me a smile and presented me with a daisy.

"Thank you, Max," I smiled at the man. "Please, come inside."

"It would be my pleasure," Max almost purred as he strode into the cabin. He stopped a few paces inside the door, pausing to clean his glasses.

"Dinner is ready," I informed Max, who nodded. I motioned to the dining room just as the sound of the motorcycle's engines roared into the driveway. "Please, make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."

I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. I shut the door behind me, waiting for the four males to shut off their engines. As soon as they had cut the engines, I descended towards them.

"Hey, kitten," David greeted me, reaching a handout. I remained out of reach, causing him to frown. All four could tell that I was visibly nervous about something.

"What's wrong?" Dwayne asked, deep voice rumbling in the night as he stood up from his bike. I swallowed hard, about to answer, when the door opened.

"Tell them to get in here!" Sam shouted from the doorway. "Dinner's getting cold!" Sam slammed the door, and I sighed.

"Mom wanted us to meet her date," I whispered, shuffling my feet. I didn't dare meet any of their eyes.

"Look at us, kitten," David commanded, his leather pants making that familiar creaking noise as he got off his bike and walked toward me. He stopped right in front of me. A warm, gloved hand lifted my chin.

"Can you come in?" I pleaded. "Eat dinner with all of us, then we can go out?"

The four males smirked as they realized why I was so nervous. This was the first official time they would meet my family. My nerves turned into slight fear at the sight of the mischievous glances Marko and Paul were sharing. Thankfully, Dwayne put his hands on their shoulders, giving them both a warning glare.

"Sure, princess," Dwayne nodded his head. David exhaled smoke from his cigarette. He then crushed it into the dirt with his heel. David motioned to the others to follow me as I approached the porch.

"Please," I turned at the last moment, hand on the doorknob. I gave them all a pleading look, begging for mercy. "Please behave?"

"Don't worry, babes," Paul chirped, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "We'll be on our best behavior."

I sighed; my worries were not alleviated. I knew how the four could be, especially in enclosed settings. I had no choice but to trust them. Hopefully, Marko and Paul wouldn't start any of their antics because they could see how much tonight meant.

I opened the door, letting the four males into the house. They looked at the decor, and Marko whistled as he wandered toward the stuffed bear. I shook my head at my boyfriend, who was poking at the claws of the wild animal.

"Marko!" I hissed. He turned his attention towards me, following me as I led the way into the dining room. I knew something was wrong when the five guests had eyes on one another.

The four males behind me stiffened at the sight of Max. I thought I heard a faint hiss, but that was probably just an air intake. Max, however, gave the four teens a faint smile. Mom, Sam, and Grandpa were already in the room, though Grandpa was filling up a plate to take back to his taxidermy studio.

"Honey!" Mom greeted me, taking the attention from Max and the guys. "Everything looks spectacular!"

"Thanks, Mom," I smiled at Mom. "Take a seat anywhere you like," I informed the guys. They nodded, taking seats. David remained standing, waiting until I took one of the two seats between the guys. He slid the chair forward before taking the chair to my immediate left.

"Chicken alfredo?" Mom asked, handing over the bowl of salad. It was passed around as everyone filled their plates.

No one said a word as I had a different plate of food than the rest. Instead of the rich, creamy Alfredo sauce-drenched noodles with chicken and broccoli, I had a piece of baked chicken with steamed broccoli and a bit of salad. I could tell that Max was curious as I cut each piece into tiny bites before proceeding to chew for longer than necessary.

Marko discretely reached over and squeezed my right thigh in pride. He nonverbally conveyed his happiness that I was eating, albeit in small amounts. It made my cheeks flush.

"So, Aria, is this your senior year?" Max asked. I blinked before I looked over at Max.

"Yes, this will be my senior year at school," I confirmed, nodding my head.

"Do you have any college plans?" Max questioned. I just shrugged, uncertain of what the future held.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, tilting my head as I thought about my future. I hadn't made any concrete plans since I was thirteen. I had been convinced that I would die before gaining any weight.

"If you ever need any extra money, I'd be happy to help in the movie shop," Max smiled fatherly. I nodded my head.

"Thank you," I said.

"Maybe," Mom hummed. I knew the unspoken words. Maybe when I got a little healthier. I was too much of a liability to work with the unexpected fainting and the inability to lift items heavier than fifteen pounds.

"What about you, Sam?" Max turned the questioning to my little brother. He just mumbled out a nonsensical answer, giving Max suspicious glares.

I didn't know that Max and the four guys were having a private conversation about me. Once everyone had completed their meal - I had managed five heads of broccoli and maybe a fifth of the chicken breast - I collected the dishes. Sam helped before we brought out the dessert - chocolate cupcakes. I could almost see how Marko's eyes brightened at the sight of the sweet treat.

"I love you," Marko proclaimed, kissing me quickly before cramming an entire cupcake in his mouth. I watched, amazed and bewildered, as Paul and Marko went feral for chocolate cupcakes.

"They love chocolate," Max sighed, shaking his head.

"Do you know them?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow as I turned to look at Max. He gave me a fond smile that spoke about their tumultuous past.

"They are my adopted sons," Max sighed, shocking me into silence.

"What?" I exclaimed, looking at Max as if he had just declared he was the embodiment of Medusa.

"Yes, we've had some issues in the past," Max sighed, shaking his head. "But they are my sons. I love them very much."

"Talk about a small world," I muttered, shaking my head. "I love them all very much."

"I know," Max gave me a genuine smile. "David told me about you."

"Hopefully, only good things," I forced a light laugh from my lips.

"Only the best," Max assured me. "I'm really sorry about your date."

"It's fine," I waved Max's apologies off. "My mom seems to like them. I think they are keepers."

"Ready to go?" David sauntered to my side, glaring at Max, who rolled his eyes.

"Yes," I nodded my head. I left David's side to tell my mom that we were going. Once I had gathered the belongings necessary to go on a date, we left the house. I slid onto the back of David's motorcycle, trusting the four men. I knew that I loved them. Nothing would change that.